St. Vrain Market – Lyons, CO

I realize that not everyone in this country shops for groceries in a giant, stocked-to-the-rafters grocery chain, but many of us do. I do, so it was a real treat to walk through the front doors of the old-timey St. Vrain Market in Lyons, Colorado. Instead of being greeted by fancy floral arrangements, huge rolling bins of watermelons, and drippy Muzak music, we were greeted with a warm smile from Connie, one of the owners.

The St. Vrain Market - Lyons, CO

Connie Sullivan, co-owner of The St. Vrain Market

Shopping for the items on our list took us less than 15 minutes–the St. Vrain Market would fit into half the produce section of my local grocery store–but we found everything we needed and were amazed to find many things we never expected to see. Moreover, I was reminded that shopping, when I’m given only a few options to choose from, can be a rather pleasant, stress-free experience. Seriously, why do we need 253 different cereal choices?

The St. Vrain Market

Connie and her husband, Neil, recently purchased the St. Vrain Market and have big plans for it in the near future, including expanding the meat and deli counter, adding a bakery, and introducing new products that will help their customers “enjoy a delicious, healthy, and balanced diet” (yes, the two of them are incredibly physically fit and appear to be health nuts like everyone else in Colorado, but we’ll not hold that against them). Fortunately, they truly seem to appreciate the rarity of their wonderful little store and plan to maintain “the nostalgia of [their] hometown market.” I hope so. I wish them great success and can’t wait to go back. Visit their website to learn more.